How often are you slammed by lazy marketing tactics? The kind where the sender proves they know nothing about your business. Nor do they seem to care.
Doesn’t that drive you nuts?
The following are examples of lazy marketing techniques. See if you recognize any of them. Hopefully, they are not a part of your marketing strategy.
Lazy Marketing
How many business offers do you receive in a day? If your business is online, your inbox is probably overflowing with them.
The following represent some of the most common I receive.
- Requests from public relations (PR) firms
- Invitations to collaborate or purchase software or services
- Guest post pitches
And on and on. The right offer – done the right way – is good business strategy. But lazy marketing has the opposite effect.
Google the word lazy and the following is what pops up.
Exactly. Do the following 5 lazy marketing tactics strike a nerve with you?
#1 – The Did Not Do the Homework Approach
This is the story of Bob, a co-founder of a gaming app.
Emails that push a product with no relation to a target’s business are infuriating. Do your homework and at least pretend to understand my business. Don’t be like this marketer.
- He stated he was following up to my request (yeah, right) for a quote on a payroll system.
- I replied I never asked for one and was a sole proprietor with no employees.
- Then he responded – so, was I saying I did not want one?
Well, DUH.
- Sole proprietor
- No employees
- Why would I need a payroll system?
If you don’t want a failing mark, do your homework on your target market.
#2 – The Scattergun Approach
This lazy marketing tactic is the birth child of #1. Because Bob didn’t do his homework, he had no real target for his marketing.
- Bob sprayed everyone he met, to the point of pushiness
- His email campaigns included most living, breathing humans
- Bob figured with such great odds, some of those pitches would stick
If you’re a blogger, you have probably been the recipient of scattergun marketing.
For example, I receive public relations (PR) press releases – multiple times a day. Typically, the pitches I receive are a marriage of not doing the homework and the scattergun approach.
- Most PR pitches have NOTHING to do with my business
- I think the “reason” they send them is because this blog has the term “business” in its name
- Business? Close enough!
At one point, I became so frustrated by these pitches, I posted the following tweet (recreated – not the actual tweet). Not surprising, it had little (if any) effect.
#3 – The Partner Without Benefits Approach
Are you flattered when others want to partner with you? You could be if they remember it’s not all about them. Even worse are those who think you cannot see through their “win-win” arrangement.
Most freelancers will relate to the following story.
So much for a “win-win” situation. I told you Bob was annoying.
Another example is this recent inquiry I received through my contact page. Perhaps if I felt my potential “partner” understood my business a bit better, he could draft a winning offer.
- Market research companies – I would love to see the circuitous route he took that landed him on my business communication site. I suppose it’s possible, but a quick look around would show my business is not a market research company.
- Partner up – Well, howdy, partner. Let’s see what you offer.
- Cartoon explainer video – Although the price I blocked out is 3-digits, I will admit it’s much lower than the “going” rate. What was interesting to me was the notion that I (as a business writer) should pay someone else to write my script.
- All I ask in return – Only a quick testimonial? Uh, what about the 3-digit cost to create the video? While a great discount, it’s not chump change.
Writer nitpicking – If I HAD any questions, does that mean I don’t HAVE any now?
Your collaboration offer should not tip more your way than your B2B partner. Share on X#4 – The Technology Trap
Technology tools that make life simpler are a marketer’s dream. They deliver your message faster, more efficiently, and to a wider audience.
But, technology fails. Adding technology is not an implement and forget solution.
- Dear [insert name] – well, that certainly makes me feel special
- Do not reply to this email – we don’t like it when people contact us so we’re not going to tell you how you can
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) – AI transforms customer service – whether that’s a good thing depends on how well the humans manage it
Technology tools + lazy marketing = annoying results
#5 – The Empty Promise
All businesses experience hiccups in service. How the business handles the missteps influences whether a customer remains loyal.
If you offer something the customer does not want or a response that feels patronizing, you deliver an empty promise.
Think about a bad customer experience you had. Perhaps the business offered you a discount on your next purchase.
- How did you feel?
- Satisfied?
- Or more ticked off?
Sometimes, even money is not the answer. Take the time to learn what people want.
What Ticks You Off?
I try to stay positive. Really. But, sometimes you need to vent. So, here’s your opportunity.
- What types of lazy marketing have you encountered?
- Share your examples in Comments
Note: This September 12, 2021 post updates the original Lazy Marketing that published on August 21, 2017. And because I do like to stay positive, check out 3 Second-Nature Marketing Traits That Bury the Competition about businesses that do it right.
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Offers of guest posting are driving me nuts! Most are canned. Most have never looked at my site. Etc. etc. etc.
Ah, I remember the sweet person I was. Crafting a response to each request until the floodgates opened. Since then, I revised my Guest Post policy and put in bold above my contact form that I do not accept guest posts from people I do not know.
Has that stopped them? Or even slowed them down? Nope. What I hate even more are the ones that send MULTIPLE follow-ups that get increasingly rude. Yeah, that’s a great marketing tactic. Thanks, Anne, for sharing your thoughts.
The thing I get most often comes from publicists who assume I’m an editor or decision maker of a magazine or website, asking if I would be interested in running a story about their company or client. If it’s a legitimate (but lazy) PR source, I’ll reply suggesting they contact one of the editors about that. Otherwise I ignore them.
I would say most of the PR requests I receive are legitimate, but they have not done their homework. I used to respond (and occasionally still do) but it simply got real old fast so I seldom reply anymore.
Thanks for sharing your example, Paula.
Criticizing my site & saying how they will fix it for X fee. In a badly written, mis-spelled pitch. Not the way to win me over.
Isn’t that dumbest marketing tactic ever, Devon? Insulting your targeted market. Thanks for a great example, Devon.
I’ve had the same thing happen with people wanting to fix my site, or increase the SEO, indicating that that will help me sell more product from my site. Often poorly written pitches from folks who have not really looked at my site. I don’t have an e-commerce store, so I don’t sell product, and they could at least have acknowledged that I write books. I don’t make and sell tortilla warmers. LOL
Maryann, doesn’t it make you wonder how (or if) they get any business at all from those “sales” pitches? I also wonder if they pick up the phone after sending those emails and do their other job of dialing up phone scams. 😀
Cathy, you covered them well–all the things that drive me nuts.
I did receive a compelling guest-post query once. The person had studied my blog and pitched a good idea. Unfortunately, I had already covered the topic, but he wouldn’t have known that without deep research. I believe he’s working on another idea now.
I look forward to the good examples.
Lynn
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Lynn. My definition of someone I “know” is someone I know personally or who interacts with my readers or me. Or someone like you describe who obviously “did their homework.” We all have to start our networks somewhere. I appreciate someone who does it the “right” way.
Thanks for stopping by, Lynn.
I feel you on the work-for-free requests. I’m certain the person making the request isn’t working for free.
I once received an email from someone with “Hey” as a greeting, followed by how they can increase my website ranking with SEO. It was the WRONG website. I didn’t respond, and they emailed me a few weeks later with an attitude because I didn’t respond. Their whole strategy was incorrect.
I agree, Marcie. Your examples are the epitome of lazy marketing. Thanks for sharing them.
I receive quite a few hybrids of 1 and 2 Cathy and they are seasonal – whenever someone is selling blogging courses to newbies who go and google a keyword and then send emails to pitch guest posts without checking my website or work or they are looking to promote their businesses and think I’ll let them post irrelevant blog posts. None of them ever talks about promoting the post and I have to direct them to the Privacy Policy on my website. 🙂
I see a lot of 3 too – mostly on LinkedIn and once again. the sender hasn’t done their homework. Pity!
It is a pity, Vatsala. Thank you for sharing your examples. I think we can all relate. 🙂
I’m remembering a few encounters I’ve had with people who wanted to partner with me. Their pitch (and coincidentally, or not, they were both lawyers) — I would write these articles for them, they would approve them, and the magazine I pitch them to would pay me. My head nearly exploded — unethical much? NO WAY that’s happening! You pay me or you write the darn thing yourself! I’m not ruining every editorial relationship I have just because you think ignoring ethical boundaries is going to benefit your business.
THAT is lazy marketing. And it’s dishonest.
Just when you think you’ve heard it all, Lori. Lazy AND cheap marketing with a side of sleazy.
One that sticks with me was the ol’ “write blog posts for us for free and we’ll see you get exposure with our clients.” Years later (after I said no to their “generous” offer), they got acquired by a bigger firm who happened to be a client of mine.
I ended up doing an email campaign for the newly acquired firm. My bigger, PAYING client, coordinated it. Turns out the “work for us free” firm loved what I did. I always felt vindicated that I did not devalue my worth when they first came calling and they learned what they missed (my fee did come out of their budget). Lazy AND cheap marketing replaced by professional business writing.
Thanks for sharing your comments, Lori.